When it comes to Gi based Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, there are fewer things as important as the basic Gi grip. This is something that I preach to my students as much as I possibly can, in hopes that they all recognize the importance and put it into action.

While watching this brief match, it was evident that Paulo Miyao understood just how important the grips can really be when competing in a live match.

Right away we see Tsukada, who looks like he may have the strength advantage over Paulo, begin to try and assert himself from the top position. Actively looking for a more dominant position to work from, Ichitaro found himself unable to do so.

Miyao used two fundamentally sound tactics to keep his opponent at bay: he used his legs to control Tsukada while also applying and maintaining a rather firm Gi grip on his sleeves.

This allowed Paulo to dictate where Ichitaro could and couldn’t go, even when working out of bottom guard. The ability to control an opponent by simply holding onto their Gi sleeve is an impressive trait, and as Paulo showed, can be an extremely effective tool when used properly.

Working From The Bottom Without Doing Too Much

For such a short match, the pace seemed rather frantic for the most part, which was something that Paulo handled rather nicely en route to a victory.

When Tsukada began pressuring, and was unable to thanks to the Gi grip and the leg defense of Miyao, it was almost as if Tsukada had no choicebutto try for something big.

Attempting to step over the head of Paulo, Tsukada found himself being dragged to the mat as if Paulo was saying “I can do what I want,” which caused a brief reset. Upon restarting, it was almost as if Miyao knew the match was in hand, despite only working from his back.

After anincredibletransition, Miyao was able to obtain the back and began working his way closer to the finish line. Tsukada seemingly knew he had no chance unless something crazy happened, and you can even see his body slowly begin to sink closer and closer to the mat as Miyao worked for the choke.

Eventually, Ichitaro had no choice but to drop to the mat with Miyao on his back. After beautifully trapping the arms of his opponent with his legs, Paulo was able to add a little more pressure to the hold, allowing him to scoop up a submission victory.

All be it short, the match spoke perfectly to the skill level that Paulo Miyao posses, and what a little patience can do for you when you’re on the mat with your opponent.